Fastener for envelopes



(No Model.)

G. W. McGILL.

FASTENER FOR ENVELOPES, 850. No. 414,073. Patented Oct. 29, 1889.

Rye/ 2 eozye Well-gill,

N. FEYERS. Fhabummer. wuhimun. n c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. MCGILL, OF RIVERDALE, NEIV YORK.

FASTENER FOR ENVELOPES, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,073, dated October 29, 1889.

I Application filed June 22, 1889, $erial No. 315,176. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE \V. MCGILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Riverdale, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for Envelopes and for other Purposes, of which the following is .a specification.

In transmitting by mail samples of merchandise and other articles in unsealed envelopes or wrappers it is desirable to provide means whereby the closing-flap can be secured in its closed position by means that permit it to be quickly released by the OPE- cials for inspecting the inclosures and then conveniently reclosed and secured.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel and efficient device for the purposes stated, and which is also adapted for other uses, such as fastening or binding together two different sets of papers or documents, whereby one set can be detached without disturbing that portion of the device which holds or confines the other set.

The object of my invention I accomplish by the fastener having the characteristic features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the blank to form the fastener; Fig. 2, a perspective view showing the blank folded to form two connected T-shaped fasteners each having two prongs; Fig. 3, a perspective view showing the two T'sha-ped fasteners in the act of being bent to form the completed fastener; Fig. 4., a perspective view looking at the edge of the completed fastener where the two heads are back to back and united by the joiningbend of the metal; Fig. 5,a similar view looking at the opposite edge of the fastener, and Fig. 6 a sectional elevation showing the fastener applied to secure two thicknesses or different sets of papers.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, where the blank is shown in Fig. 1, and is slit or split centrally, as at 1- 1, from both ends to near its center, forming two parallel members of substantially equal length,

the slit from oneend being shorter or of less length than the slit from the opposite end to form a pair of arms or members 2 and 3 at each end of the solid or integral center or neck 4 of different length, the integral center or neck being of a length equal to the spread of the complete fastener formed from the blank.

To produce my improved fastener the extremities of the members are folded around toward each other and then bent outwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2, to constitute two T-shaped fasteners each comprising a head and two prongs 5 (S. The parts are now bent along the neck 4, as in Fig. 3, until the heads 7 and 8 of the fasteners are brought back to back with one pair of prongs projecting in a direction directly opposite the other pair, as in Figs. 4 and 5, which complete the fastening device. By this construction there are provided two fastener-heads 7 and 8, arranged back to back and united by the joining bend or neck 4, Fig. at, and each head is provided with a pair of prongs, the two pairs extending at right angles to the heads in opposite directions.

For the purpose of facilitating the passage of the prongs through paper or other material they are pointed, and to conveniently separate the prongs and bend them down to secure the papers or other articles one of the prongs of each pair is longer than the other.

In using the device one pair of prongs is passed through a thickness or one set of papers 9, Fig. 6, 'bent or clinched down, and the other pair of prongs is passed through another thickness or set of papers 10 and bent or clinched down in like manner, so that the two heads lie between the two thicknesses or set of papers.

The entire device is composed of a single piece of material, and I prefer to stamp or out the blanks from any sheet metal that will permit a blank to be easily fashioned into the form described and enable the prongs to be conveniently bent or clinched down to corn fine and hold the papers.

The device is useful as a clasp for closing the flaps of an envelope or other wrapper and for fasteningor binding together two differ ent sets of papers, so that one set can be removed at will without disturbing the prongs 2. A fastening device consisting of two duplex-pronged T-shaped fastenersformed integral with a longitudinally-folded portion forming two heads placed back to back with the duplex prongs of one head extending in a direction opposite to the duplex prongs of the other head, and both pairs of prongs adapted to be spread laterally, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WV. MCGILL.

Witnesses:

THOS. L. ScoVILL, E. A. S. BARKELEVV. 

